Hepatitis E virus infections in humans and animals.
- Author:
Young Jo SONG
1
;
Woo Jung PARK
;
Byung Joo PARK
;
Joong Bok LEE
;
Seung Yong PARK
;
Chang Seon SONG
;
Nak Hyung LEE
;
Kun Ho SEO
;
Young Sun KANG
;
In Soo CHOI
Author Information
- Publication Type:Review
- Keywords: Hepatitis E virus; Zoonoses; Animals; Humans; Vaccines
- MeSH: Animals*; Developed Countries; Developing Countries; Eating; Endemic Diseases; Hepatitis E virus*; Hepatitis E*; Hepatitis*; Humans*; Meat; Risk Factors; Seroepidemiologic Studies; Swine; Vaccines; Viruses; Water Pollution; Zoonoses
- From:Clinical and Experimental Vaccine Research 2014;3(1):29-36
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
- Abstract: Hepatitis E has traditionally been considered an endemic disease of developing countries. It generally spreads through contaminated water. However, seroprevalence studies have shown that hepatitis E virus (HEV) infections are not uncommon in industrialized countries. In addition, the number of autochthonous hepatitis E cases in these countries is increasing. Most HEV infections in developed countries can be traced to the ingestion of contaminated raw or undercooked pork meat or sausages. Several animal species, including pigs, are known reservoirs of HEV that transmit the virus to humans. HEVs are now recognized as an emerging zoonotic agent. In this review, we describe the general characteristics of HEVs isolated from humans and animals, the risk factors for human HEV infection, and the current status of human vaccine development.
